AUTHOR=Liebig-Gonglach Michaela , Neunhäuserer Lina , Kuenen Jeroen , Hoffmann Barbara , Soppa Vanessa , Diegmann Volker , Hornberg Claudia 

TITLE=Environmental Burden of Disease due to Emissions of Hard Coal- and Lignite-Fired Power Plants in Germany

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=68

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1606083

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1606083

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> The study estimated the environmental burden of disease (EBD) attributable to a long-term exposure of the population to nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) and fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) emissions from hard coal- and lignite-fired power plants in Germany for the year 2015.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> The contribution of coal-fired power plants to the total air pollutant concentration was modelled using a chemical transport model and then combined with population data to assess the corresponding population exposure. We calculated years of life lost (YLL), years of life with disability, or disability-adjusted life years for different health outcomes with a strong evidence for an association with the exposure.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The burden of disease from PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions from lignite is 1.2 times higher than that from hard coal emissions (7,866 YLL compared to 6,412 YLL). NO<sub>2</sub> emissions from lignite, cause a burden of disease 2.3 times higher than hard coal NO<sub>2</sub>-emission (13,537 YLL compared to 5,906 YLL). The EBD for both pollutants is dominated by diseases of the cardiovascular system.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Abandoning energy generation by coal-fired power plants would lower the burden of disease in Germany.</p>